Article written by Mairead Fahy which appeared in ECHO newspaper January 2007:
It’s the New Year! The “silly season” has come and gone - and all the festivities have left their mark on your face and body! What used to be vigorous and vibrant, is now bagged and sagged! All the birds have gone south, and so has your face!
For some, the rejuvenation process starts with Botox, Dermal Fillers, - even the knife! But for those with a more holistic approach to life, - there is an alternative and natural way to minimise and reduce the signs of aging.
It’s called Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture. Yes… Acupuncture! The therapy that’s used so effectively for treating pains and aches, and indeed anything from asthma to vertigo is also used as a cosmetic alternative to plastic surgery!
Sometimes also called an Acupuncture Facelift, - it is so much more than a cosmetic procedure. It is in fact a rejuvenation and revitalisation process designed to help the whole body look and feel younger!
The Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatment is based on the principles of Chinese Medicine. It involves the insertion of very fine sterile disposable needles into particular areas of the face, ears, neck, hands, trunk and legs, along channels of energy called Qi (pronounced Chee).
Specific points are chosen to manipulate the movement of energy in the body according to the individuals needs, so in effect; any underlying ailments get treated also, as the body’s Qi comes back into balance.
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is not a new procedure! Thousands of years ago, - as early as the Sung Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD), the Chinese discovered that many meridians, or channels, either begin or end on the face, while some have internal branches which go to the face.
Thus practitioners of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture know how to specifically affect the face, while simultaneously treating the whole body, so that the underlying factors that contribute to the aging process are minimised also.
So, - what can it do for you?
It can erase as many as 5 to 15 years from the face, with results apparent after only a few treatments. Fine lines may be eliminated and deeper lines lessened considerably, bags under the eyes can be reduced, jowls firmed, puffiness eliminated, droopy eyelids lifted and double chins can be minimised.
Other likely results include moisturisation of the skin due to increased local circulation of blood and lymph to the face, better muscle tone, increased collagen production, - naturally,- brightening of the eyes, improvement in the hormonal imbalance to help acne, and reduction of stress which always shows in the face first!
And because the underlying causes of aging are being addressed also – you look and feel fabulous, inside and out.
So why not rejuvenate your life and try Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture! It reaches the parts other therapies just can’t reach!
New York Times
In
Wary of the Stepford look, many potential mannequins are sticking with the needles but throwing out the syringe. At the moment,
''If an actress is working on a movie, she might come in every day for a month before shooting,'' says Dr. Mao -- his full name is Dr. Maoshing Ni -- the acupuncturist at the Tao of Wellness in
The doctor -- handsome and 39 -- doesn't have a wrinkle on his face. His waiting room is filled with people who look young, healthy and relaxed, but not overly relaxed in that airbrushed
''We can slow down the aging process and in some cases reverse it,'' Dr. Mao informs me as he turns his well-trained eye in my direction. Carefully examining the deepening road map on my forehead, Dr. Mao seems confident that he can ''at least soften some of the lines.''
''Let me see your tongue,'' he says, and then stares at it closely. Diagnosing ''a little stress,'' he inserts a hair-thin needle into my scalp. Slowly, I begin to relax. As he starts on my forehead, he explains: ''It tightens the skin, the skin tone and the muscle tone.''
In the next five minutes, he painlessly glides 30 needles into my face, so quickly and with such precision that it's like watching a magician.
''Enjoy your rest,'' Dr. Mao says before leaving the room and turning down the lights.
Forty-five minutes later, he returns to take out the needles. I rush to a nearby mirror to check out the results. Though the changes are not extraordinary, I look a little more relaxed -- tighter around my eyes and forehead.
Dr. Mao says it takes about three months of weekly visits to see a drastic difference. ''People will start noticing and say: 'Hey, you look great. What's happening?' And yet they can't quite put their finger on what's changed. It's subtle.''
In a society where immediate gratification is the norm, a few months of pinpricks may be a hard sell. But Dr. Mao's face lift may just stir a countercultural revolution.